According to officials, a company from Israel has been granted initial approval from health authorities to market the first ever steaks created from cultured beef cells rather than from the entire animal. This decision comes after the successful approval of lab-grown chicken in the United States in the previous year.

In December, the Israeli Health Ministry gave Aleph Farms, located in Rehovot, Israel, the initial approval. The announcement was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, who described it as a significant achievement on a global scale.

The company announced its intention to offer a specially-grown “petite steak” to customers in Israel. The meat will be produced using cells from a fertilized egg taken from a Black Angus cow named Lucy, currently residing on a farm in California.

According to Yoav Reisler from Aleph Farms, the company’s labels and final inspection must still be approved by regulators. This process could take several months before the product is available for consumption by diners.

Aleph Farms has partnered with Upside Foods and Good Meat, both based in California, who were granted permission to sell lab-grown chicken in the U.S. in June. Over 150 companies worldwide are working towards the common objective of producing cultivated, or “cell-cultured,” meat.

Supporters argue that producing meat from cells will greatly decrease harm to animals and mitigate the negative environmental effects of traditional meat production. However, this industry is hindered by obstacles such as expensive production costs and the difficulty of scaling up to meet demand in order to make it financially viable.

Reworded: Lab-grown meat is produced in large steel tanks using cells from a living animal, a fertilized egg, or a specialized bank of stored cells. These cells are then nourished with specific nutrients to develop into larger pieces or layers of meat, which can be formed into recognizable dishes like cutlets or steaks.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support for the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is solely responsible for all of its content.